Forming-machine.



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GUNTHER I-I. PETRI, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

FORMING-MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUNTHER H. PETRI, a citizen of the United States,residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts,have invented new and useful Improvements in Forming-Machines, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to forming machines.

More particularly it relates to improvements in machinery for formingdough and other plastic materials into balls.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved type of suchmachinery, simple and effective in operation and of large capacity inproportion to its size.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings in which Figure 1 is a side elevation; Fig. 2 is a frontelevation in section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a plan insection on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, a standard comprising four legs 1010 is seen,having uprights, which stand around the mechanism hereinafter described,and cross pieces 11 joining them over the machine, uniting at the centerin a journal 12 for a vertical shaft 13, which passes through the axesof three drums, arranged one over the other, marked respectively 14, 15and 16, and each rotating in a direction different from its neighbor.The top and bottom drums 14; and 16 are splined to the shaft as seenclearly in Fig. 2 at 17. They rotate with the shaft, and are movable upand down in the axial direction. The drum 15 is loose on shaft 13. Undereach drum is a support 18, whose upper surface is a cam represented bythe line 19 in Fig. 2 having a number of high points with interveninglow points. As here represented, there are four such elevations anddepressions. These cams are supported on brackets 18, seen in Fig. 1.The central drum 15 is driven in the opposite direction of rotation fromthe drums on either side of it by a wheel 20 which makes frictionalcontact with the surface of the drum, this wheel being mounted on ashaft 21 which is driven by belt 22 from the main driving shaft 13, towhich power may be supplied from any suitable source.

Surrounding each of the drums, in a plane perpendicular to the axesthereof, is a trough. These troughs are marked respec- Specification ofLetters Patent.

Application filed November 5, 1909.

Patented May 10 1916.

Serial No. 526,373

tively 24, 25, 26, corresponding to the drums 14:, 15 and 16. They arestationary and are supported by brackets 28, seen in Fig. 1. Troughs ofdifferent shapes may be used according to the needs of the work in hand.A chute 27 is provided in the top trough 24: for feeding material intothe trough. The bottom of this trough 24 has an opening 29, under whichis another chute 30 leading into the trough 25. In trough 25 is adischarge opening 31, seen in Fig. 3, and under that may be a similarchute leading into trough 26. A discharge chute 32 leads from trough 26.It will be observed that when a mass of dough is placed in one of thesetroughs, it touches the bottom and outer side of the trough and theadjacent drum. If desired, these troughs may be covered in whole or inpart. The drawings represent them with an irregular top which extendsfrom the semicovered shape, seen at 33 in Fig. 3, to the entirelyuncovered shape, seen at 34 in the same figure. The top drum 14 carriesprojections 35 which protrude over the trough 24 to a certain degree andthese preferably, instead of being continuous, are separated by spacesand have bottom surfaces like cams as seen clearly in Fig. 1.

In operation when power is applied to shaft 13 the drums 1 1 and 16rotate in the direction shown by the arrows thereon (Fig. l) and thedrum 15 rotates in the opposite direction. hen a mass of dough enterstrough 21 through chute 27, it is immediately engaged between thestationary wall of the trough and the moving side of the drum. Thelatter has both a rotatory motion, moving horizontally past the dough,and a vertical motion caused by cam 19. The result is that the dough issubjected to a rolling force, which tends continuously to roll it aroundthrough trough 2d and at the same time rolls it alternately up and downtherein. If the upward rolling of the mass happens to occur under one ofthe uncovered spaces 3%, the motion is simple as described; but, if theupward motion happens to occur under one of the covered spaces 33 themass cannot follow the drum upward to the full extent and is compressedand kneaded to a degree under the cover 33. If the mass does not respondreadily to descend when the roll descends, the projections 35 will driveit down, the sloping under cam-surface of these projections engaging themass gradually and effectively for this purpose.

WVhen the mass has passed through this rolling and kneading action untilit hasnearly completed the circuit of the trough 24, it reaches theopening 29 in the bottom of that trough, which is located close to theentrance chute 2'7, and falls out of the trough and into the entrancechute 30 of the trough 25. In trough 25 the mass undergoes similaraction, but the rotation is in the opposite direction and, havingcompleted the circuit, the mass drops through discharge opening 31 intotrough 26, in which its direction or rotatory kneading is againreversed, and the mass is carried around until it is discharged from themachine at 32.

lVhile the drawing shows an embodiment of the invention, it is to beunderstood that the same principles may be applied in different form andin other embodiments of the same ideas so that the patent is notlimited. to the specific form of invention here illustratedanddescribed. In particular, for example, the troughs and drums might betransposed, the troughs being rotating members inside of stationarydrums, the dough in that case working against the concave interior ofdrum cylinders, and other variations might be made.

I claim:

1. A forming machine comprising the combination of a cylinder, a trougharranged in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the cylinder, one ofthese parts encircling the other; means to produce relative rotationbetween them whereby a mass there between will be rolled; another suchcylin der and trough adjacent, the rotation being opposite; and meansfor transferring the mass from one trough to the other.

2. A forming machine comprising the combination of a cylinder, a trougharranged in a plane perpendicular to-the axis of the cylinder, one ofthese parts encircling the other; means to produce relative rotationbetween them whereby a mass there between will be rolled; another suchcylinder and trough adjacent, the rotation being opposite; and means fortransferring the mass from one trough to the other; said cylinders andtroughs being all onone vertical axis.

3. A forming machine comprising the combination of a cylinder, a trougharranged in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the cylinder, one ofthese parts encircling the other; means to produce relative rotationbetween them whereby a mass there between will be rolled; another suchcylinder and trough adjacent, the rotation being opposite; saidcylinders and troughs being all on one vertical axis; there being a holethrough the uppertroughpermitting a mass to fall thence into the lowertrough.

4. A forming machine comprising the combination of a rotating cylinderand a stationarytrough-arranged in a plane perpendicular to the axis ofthe cylinder, one of these parts encircling the other; another suchcylinder and trough adjacent, the cylinder rotating in the oppositedirect-ion; and means for transferring a mass of material from onetrough to the other.

5. A forming machine comprising the combination of a rotating cylinderand a stationary trough arranged in a plane perpendicular to the axis ofthe cylinder, one of these parts encircling the other; another suchcylinder and trough adjacent, all being on one vertical axis ;'and thesecond'rotating in opposite direction; there being in the upper trough aplace for entrance of material and an opening in the bottom of thetrough adjacent thereto for discharge of material which has completedthe circuit; and there being in the lower trough an en trance openingunder said discharge openmg.

6. A forming machine comprising the combination of a cylinder, a trougharranged in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the cylinder, one ofthese parts encircling the other; means to produce relative rota tionbetween them whereby a mass there between will be rolled; another suchcylinder and trough adjacent, the rotation being opposite; and means fortransferring the mass from one trough to the other; said cylinders andtroughs being all 011 one vertical axis; there being a shaft at the axiswith which-one of the rotating parts is engaged and peripheral drivingmeans by which the other rotating part is actuated in the oppositedirection of rotation.

7. A forming machine comprising the combination of a cylinder, a trougharranged in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the cylinder, one ofthese parts encircling the other; means to produce relative rotationbetween them whereby a mass there between will be rolled; another suchcylinder and trough adjacent, the rotation being opposite; and means fortransferring the mass from one trough to the other; there being alsomeans to produce in the axial direction a reciprocating motion of acylinder with respect to its trough coincidentally with said rotation.

8. A forming machine comprising the combination of a cylinder, a trougharranged in a plane perpendicular'to the axis of the cylinder, oneofthese parts encircling the other; means to produce relative rot-ationbetween them whereby a mass there between will be-rolled; another suchcylinder and trough adjacent, the rotation being opposite; and means fortransferring the mass from one trough "to the other; there being alsomeans to produce in the axial direction a reciprocating motion of acylining motion.

9. A forming machine comprising the combination of a cylinder, atrougharranged in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the cylinder, one ofthese parts encircling the other; means to produce relative rotationbetween them whereby a mass there between will be rolled; another suchcylinder and trough adjacent, the rotation being opposite; and means fortransferring the mass from one trough to the other; there being alsomeans to produce in the axial direction a reciprocating motion of a.cylinder with respect to its trough coincidentally with said rotation;one of said troughs having a closed portion in one direction of the axisand being partly open in the other direction of the axis and thecylinder having cam-faced projections rotating in said partly open spaceand adapted to engage and drive backward a mass therein.

10. A forming machine comprising the combination of a vertical shaft,two cylinders rotated thereby, another cylinder loose thereon andperipheral driving means rotating it in the opposite direction, a troughfor each cylinder encircling it in a plane perpendicular to the axis,and a succession of openings and entrances thereunder in adj acenttroughs for transferring masses from one to the other.

11. A forming machine comprising the combination of a vertical shaft, acylinder splined thereon, a member supporting the cylinder, there beinga cam surface between it and the cylinder whereby the cylinder rc ceivesaxial motion as it rotates, a trough surrounding the cylinder, anadjacent cylinder and trough and means for relative rotation betweenthem in the opposite direction; and means for transferring a mass fromone trough to the other.

12. A forming machine comprising the combination of a cylinder, atrough, one of these being arranged around the other and there beingmeans to produce relative rotation between them in that position,whereby a mass between them will be rolled; another such cylinder andtrough adjacent with ro tation rolling such a mass in the oppositedirection; and means to transfer the mass from one to the other.

13. A forming machine comprising the combination of a cylinder, atrough, one of these being arranged around the other and there beingmeans to produce relative rotation between them in that position,whereby a mass between them will be rolled; another such cylinder andtrough adjacent with rotation rolling such a mass in the oppositedirection; the said rotating parts being upon one vertical axis andthere being means for transferring the mass from one trough to the otherin which the path of the mass while being transferred leads through aspace between the troughs wherein it is free from engagement with allthe rotating parts.

14:. A forming machine comprising the combination of a vertical shaft, aplurality of cylinders-arranged upon the axis thereof and means torotate adjacent cylinders in opposite directions, a trough adjacent toeach cylinder, wherein a mass may be rolled by rotation of the cylinder;and a passage for the mass from trough to trough.

15. A forming machine comprising the combination of a cylinder, atrough, one of these being arranged around the other and there beingmeans to produce relative rotation between them in that position,whereby a mass between them will be rolled; means to produce areciprocating motion of one with respect to the other in the directionof the axis coincidentally with said rotation; the trough having aclosed portion in one direction of the axis and a partly closed portionin the other direction of the axis against which the mass may beintermittently compressed by said reciprocating motion while beingrolled around the cylinder.

Signed by me at Boston, Mass, this third day of November, 1909.

GUNTHER H. PETRI.

WVitnesses:

EVERETT E. KENT, JOSEPH T. BRENNAN.

